Everyday Savings

CardCash.com, the web’s leading gift card exchange, has been ranked as the fourth fastest growing company in New Jersey for 2014. The award was presented by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premier business news publication, and is the second year in a row that CardCash.com has made the list. CardCash.com ranked #17 last year.

The NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards program celebrates New Jersey’s most dynamic companies who progressively contribute to the success of the state’s economic growth and stability. To qualify, companies had to meet selection criteria that included a revenue size of at least $500,000 within the past two out of three years and revenue growth over a three year period, dating from fiscal year 2011 to 2013.

Mr. Jeremy Levi, Director of Marketing, and Mr. Alan Howitt, VP of Finance, accepted the award on behalf of CardCash.com. “It’s an honor to be recognized for our growth by NJ Biz and the event’s prestigious sponsors”, says Mr. Levi. “We are proud to be a part of the thriving New Jersey business community and we look forward to many more years of running our business in the state’s great business environment.”

NJBIZ and the program sponsors honored this year’s event and announced their ranking during an awards ceremony on Thursday, November 13, 2014 at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, New Jersey. The award program was presented by Baker Tilly and Citi and sponsored by Archer & Greiner PC, Comcast Business, Emerald Financial, and UnitedHealthcare.

Annual gift card sales exceeded $113 billion in the United States in 2013, with 27% of gift cards recipients not having redeemed the gift cards they received last year. CardCash.com provides a simple and secure online exchange that helps consumers convert their unused cards into cash for as much as 97% of face value. Those in the market for gift cards, meanwhile, can buy credit to top national brands at a discount as high as 40%.

For more information about the NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards program please visit www.njbiz.com/events.

We all want to save money, the trick is saving money without coming off as cheap. Buying cheap candy or shopping for your kids costumes at the thrift shop may save you a quick buck but it won’t cut it for many, especially when your child wants to be Elsa or Olaf from Frozen, the two most popular costumes for 2014.

The Problem: It’s easier to be cheap than to find sustainable ways to save money on what you really want.

The Solution: Be frugal not cheap; for those times when you want to save money without compromising on quality, we present the first in a series on sustainable money saving tips: How To Save Money This Halloween.

Halloween Savings Tip #1: Buy in Bulk

If you want to be cheap you can limit the amount of candy you give out by handing the candy to the trick-or-treaters instead of just letting them take. But if you want happy faces walking out the door then buy candy in bulk, from warehouse stores such as Costco or BJ’s, or even from Target or Walmart where they sell candy in bulk as well.

More good news: while food costs have risen sharply over the past year candy prices haven’t risen at the same pace so you won’t be breaking the bank when buying candy.

Discounted gift cards are a great way to stretch any spending. Once you’ve scouted out the costume, party décor and candy choices and made your decision on where to buy, head to sites like CardCash.com which sell gift cards at a discount to all major retailers. Gift cards to Toys “r” Us, Walmart, Carter’s and even Petco because we can’t forget the dog’s costume can all be had at discounts of 5%-17%.

The best part? Gift cards work as cash and can be used together with other discounts so there’s no compromising on quality or on what specific costume your little one, or you, really wants.

Halloween Savings Tip #3: Shop Online For Décor

Whether you’re throwing a party or just want to get in the Halloween spirit (no pun intended), the best place to shop for party goods and décor is online. But don’t just Google search it; head to savings sites such as Bradsdeals.com, Savings.com and promotionalcodes.com, all family oriented sites which scour the web for the best deals for you.

Search Halloween on these sites and you’ll find some great savings on everything you need to make this Halloween out of this world.

Apple’s unveiling last week of the iPhone 6 came with the expected amount of hype, and seemingly for good reason; while Samsung may say the features on the iPhone 6 are all on their current offerings, if you’re an iPhone fan like I am then you’re excited that your favorite phone will now have all these awesome features, new or not.

However, there’s the problem of sticker shock; not everyone can shell out $199 for the regular iPhone 6 that only comes with a new 2-year plan, or the $299 starting price for the iPhone 6. But have no fear, there are ways to save on the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. You can have your cake and eat it too!

Sell Your old Phone

There are a number of companies advertising trade-in offers for old iPhones but the best prices we found were on Gazelle, where your phone can fetch anywhere from $50 to as much as $275. At the lower end is a trade-in price for the iPhone 4s which, depending on carrier, can get you as much as $65. For the newer iPhone 5 the price goes up to $165 for phones from Verizon and AT&T, a bit less for those that run on T-Mobile and Sprint networks.

The real kingpin is the iPhone 5s which nets you anywhere from $240-$275. Why so much? Keep in mind you may have to cancel your current two-year plan to upgrade which is why people will probably not be as willing to part with iPhone’s last version.

Gazelle of course buys Android phones as well. Head over to their site for a quote on whatever phone you have and then use the money to buy the coveted iPhone 6.

Total Savings: $50-$275

Buy Discount Gift Cards

Some people may be reluctant to part ways with their old phone. After all, what happens when your new phone falls into the toilet, a real concern according to Business Insider due to its large size and your small jeans pockets.

For those looking to hold onto their old phones you can still save by buying discount gift cards from CardCash.com. Many of the big box retailers will be selling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. CardCash.com offers discounts to all these retailers with discount gift cards. The current best price on gift cards to stores that will be selling the iPhone 6 are: 8% off with Radio Shack gift cards; 4.2% off with Staples gift cards; and 3% off Best Buy gift cards.

Total Savings: $10-$24

Freebies and Giveaways

According to DealNews.com many service providers are offering trade-in prices along with promotions. Walmart is offering $15 gift cards with every pre-order of the new iPhone. Radio Shack is offering a $50 iTunes gift card with purchase. These deals can be stacked with discount gift cards so together you may be scoring a pretty sweet deal. Whenever and wherever you go to buy the iPhone 6 make sure to ask for any deals or discounts available. Virtually everyone except the Apple store is offering some sort of promotion.

Total Savings: Varies per merchant

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Whatever price you pay for your new phone make sure to enjoy all the new great features. And make sure not to drop it into the toilet!

American Entrepreneurship Today, the premier resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners, recently ran an in-depth feature on CardCash.com. The feature goes through some of the early years at the company, documenting how the company battled it’s way to the top, culminating with securing venture funding from Guggenheim Partners in 2013, and the recent acquisition of former competitor Plastic Jungle.

The full article, written by AET’s founder Jeanne Gray, can be found here.

If you live in many parts of the country school is underway; some are already a number of weeks into the school year. That being said, for most of the Northeast school has yet to start, with the first day of school this Thursday, September 4th.

Which still gives us time to present some great back-to-school saving tips culled from our users, some of whom are money-saving experts in their own right. Here is our list of the top 8 money saving tips for this most expensive time, where costs per child can run upwards of $300.

1. Price Match

Many of the large stores will price match, even price matching online deals. When shopping for school supplies check online deals and compare them to the prices at your local stores including Staples and OfficeMax. They will match the price and this way you don’t have to wait for your supplies, an especially helpful tip if you push your shopping off until the last minute. Hey, we can’t blame you for not wanting the summer to end.

2. Use Gift Cards

Whether you do your shopping online on in a brick and mortar store discount gift cards from CardCash.com can be used for straight out savings, or can be stacked with other coupons and deals for double the savings.

This can be especially helpful on apparel and shoes which can get quite costly, and on some more expensive classroom items. Gift cards to Books-a-Million for textbooks, and Office Max, Office Depot and Staples gift cards for everything from paper to graphing calculators go a long way.

3. Shop Early or Late

The stores try to entice you with sales at the beginning of the season, in order to get the ball rolling at a time that for many stores is a tremendous source of revenue, second only to the holiday season. The sales reappear at the end of the back-to-school season as well, as stores try to get rid of merchandise rather than hold onto it for another year.

One example of this: Staples had composition notebooks for .01 at the beginning of the season to get customers into the store. This week those notebooks were again on sale, this time for .50. While not quite as good as a penny, still a pretty nice price on a classroom essential.

4. Tax Breaks

This one is a little less known and varies from state to state, but in many areas you can get a tax break or reimbursement for your back-to-school shopping. The state of Minnesota for example allows a deduction on your tax return for school supply spending. Other states have tax-free shopping periods during the back-to-school season, though the number of states doing that is shrinking.

5. Shop at Home

And we don’t mean at the computer! Go through all of your child’s drawers and closets to find supplies that have not been used from the year before. Even some items that have been gently used can be reused for the new school year for savings of 100%!

6. Bring Back the Retro Look

This one may be hard sell with the kids: Teach them that old is cool. Some of their back-to-school shopping can easily be done at thrift stores, even finding some great retro vintage clothes and supplies like old fashioned lunch boxes. Not only will you save tons of money, but your kids will be amongst the coolest kids for their look.

7. Supply List Only

Stick to your school’s supply list. Make a copy and take it with you to the store; don’t be swept up by all the buying of unnecessary items that teachers will only take away from your child, or worse yet, your child will get bored of after two weeks of school.

8. Save All Year Long

Aside for stocking up on deals whenever you find them, there are day-to-day savings to be had throughout the school year. Stock up on extra supplies for when your child runs out. Or another great reader tip: pack fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks rather than unhealthy overpriced options for your kids.

And of course make sure to prepare them with a smile and great attitude!

CardCash.com, the Web’s largest independent secondary gift card marketplace, announced today that it has been named to the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for the third year in a row. This year’s rankings place CardCash.com at #199, after placing #245 in 2013 and #68 in 2012.

The list ranks companies based on year-over-year revenue growth over the span of three years. CardCash.com’s revenue for 2013 was $55.7 million, up from $16.1 million in 2012. The company’s three-year growth rate was 2,182%.

“It was our original appearance on the Inc. 500 that helped launch the business into the spotlight, catapulting us into the industry leading position that we are in today,” says Elliot Bohm, CEO and co-founder of CardCash.com. “Although this is the third time that we are on the list, the excitement of seeing our name hasn’t dissipated; it’s the same thrill as the first two times.”

As a leader in the secondary gift card market, CardCash.com has experienced explosive growth in recent years.

Annual gift card sales exceeded $113 billion in the United States in 2013, with nearly 10% of those cards going unspent. CardCash.com provides a simple and secure online exchange that helps consumers convert their unused cards into cash for as much as 97% of face value. Those in the market for gift cards, meanwhile, can buy from top national brands at a discount as high as 40%.

“The American consumer is the ultimate winner in our company and others being named to the prestigious Inc. 500,” says COO Marc Ackerman, who founded CardCash.com together with Bohm in 2008. “Giving exposure to growing companies across the entrepreneurial spectrum allows customers to take advantage of all the services that these great companies offer. At the same time, it gives hope to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, letting them know that their hard work will pay off one day.”

CardCash.com is one of a select few companies whose sustainable growth has kept them on the Inc. 500 list for the third year in a row. CardCash.com was the 8th highest ranked New Jersey company on the list, the 18th highest in the New York City Metro Area, and the 14th highest consumer products and services company.

About the Inc. 500|5000

The Inc. 500|5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates the remarkable achievements companies included on the list.

About CardCash.com

Founded in 2008, CardCash.com offers the country’s largest and most secure selection of discounted gift cards online. The company was ranked #14 out of 100 on Forbes’ list of America’s Most Promising Companies for 2014, which followed a ranking of #86 in 2013. For three years running, Inc. magazine has included the company on its prestigious Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America. CardCash.com raised $6 million in equity funding from Guggenheim Partners in November 2013.

CardCash.com, the world’s largest independent secondary gift card marketplace, announced that it has acquired the assets of Plastic Jungle, formerly a San Mateo, Calif.-based company that was backed by more than $25 million in venture capital. As part of the deal, CardCash.com will acquire Plastic Jungle’s technology infrastructure, business partnerships and domain name, PlasticJungle.com.

“Plastic Jungle was an industry pioneer,” said CardCash.com CEO Elliot Bohm. “They developed world-class technology and did invaluable work educating consumers about the hidden value of their gift cards.”

“We’re ecstatic to be able to use their expertise to help even moreAmericans unlock value from their unwanted gift cards.”

As a leader in the secondary gift card market, CardCash.com has experienced explosive growth in recent years. The company generated sales of $56 million in 2013, compared with just $16 million in 2012.

Annual gift card sales exceeded $113 billion in the United States in 2013, with nearly 10% of those cards going unspent. CardCash.com provides a simple and secure online exchange that helps consumers convert their unused cards into cash for as much as 97% of face value. Those in the market for gift cards, meanwhile, can buy gift cards to top national brands at a discount as high as 40%.

CardCash.com

Founded in 2008, CardCash.com offers the country’s largest and most secure selection of discounted gift cards online. The company was ranked #14 out of 100 on Forbes’ list of America’s Most Promising Companies for 2014. For two years running, Inc. magazine has included the company on its prestigious Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in America. CardCash.com raised $6 million in equity funding from Guggenheim Partners in November 2013.

Small businesses were treated to a plethora of great advice, ideas and humor of course, at a small business forum hosted by US Senator Cory Booker. The Small Business Tech and Social Innovation Forum was held on Friday, July 11 at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Headlining the panel were Carly Graham Garcia, head of Google’s Global Industry Relations; Bess Yount, manager of Facebook’s Small Business Program; Darnell Holloway, senior manager of Local Business Outreach at Yelp; Elliot Bohm, CEO of CardCash.com; and Steven Jones, CEO and Inventor in Chief of Websignia.

The forum had a strong focus on social media, apropos for an event called by Senator Booker whose social media presence is unparalleled among politicians. Booker told the crowd about the time when he and late night host Conan O’Brien had a video war online over the city of Newark, that led to tremendous free publicity for the city where Booker started his political career as Mayor.

Following Booker’s introduction the diverse panel came on stage, where a forum ensued with the panel regaling the estimated crowd of 400 with ideas on how to innovate and use the internet to build and brand their businesses.

Garcia gave the crowd a number of tips on utilizing Google for their benefit, with reviews, content and more great opportunities for expansion.

Yount told a social media success story of a restaurant in Pittsburgh whose employees, facing an empty restaurant during a snowstorm, decided to build a toilet paper tower and then post a photo of the tower on Facebook, offering a free roll of toilet paper with each meal. Over the next two hours the post went viral and, importantly for the business, customers kept on coming, filling the store beyond capacity in middle of the snowstorm.

Holloway and Bohm both focused on the importance of answering your critics online, and using the feedback to better service your customers.

Jones gave valuable advice to the crowd on the importance of finding what works. Just because one social network is making noise it doesn’t mean it’s the best channel for you to reach your customers. Bohm took it a step further, telling small business owners not to spread themselves too thin on social media. “Find two social platforms that work for you and do them well”, said Bohm.

The hour-long discussion was followed by breakout sessions held by the panelists, giving those in attendance the opportunity to receive tailor-made advice for their businesses by these industry leaders.

It’s the time of year when everyone is left scrambling to find that perfect gift for Dad, wondering what does Dad really like. Can I just get him a beer and a couch in a quiet room so he can watch old football games? Maybe we should move Father’s Day to a random Sunday during Football season-that way we can save on gifts because we all know that would be the perfect day for him.

But in absence of reinventing the wheel, or in this case trying to move a national holiday, the answer to what dad really wants is whatever he likes best. If you’re old enough to buy dad a present you should know by now what his interests are and what he would appreciate. And no, it’s not a useless gadget or a singing fish.

Here are some ideas on what to buy, along with some money saving tips for each.

1. New Accessories (to anything)

Whether Dad is a techie, or a do-it-yourselfer, buying him a new tablet or a new power tool sounds like a good idea, but may not be. Dad probably likes his current lineup of gadgets, and is comfortable with his tools. You’re better off buying him something that complements what he currently has, whether it’s an iPad cover featuring his favorite sports team from Coveroo, or power tool accessories from Home Depot, dad will love the personal touch added to his everyday tools of the trade.

2. Take Him Out To His Favorite Restaurant

Most dad’s love food but they don’t all love the same food. Make sure to take dad to someplace he likes, for breakfast on his special day when the crowds are a bit thinner, or for dinner if you are ready to brave the crowds. Whether it’s steaks or drinks, make sure to buy a discounted gift card in advance so you can look great but save money at the same time. Outback Steakhouse discounted gift cards, Elephant Bar discount gift cards and Buffalo Wild Wings discount gift cards are some great options.

3. Brookstone Gift Cards

Gadgets are fun but which gadget is the best? No need to decide on your own-let dad do the choosing. Buy him a Brookstone gift card and let him choose from their selection of golf gadgets, outdoor wireless speakers or a massager to relax with after a long day, dad knows what he likes best. Gift cards are always great gifts, especially gift cards to stores where dad may not spend the money but will now be forced to splurge on himself.

3,500 riders biked for a greater cause this past Sunday, June 1st, as the 23rd annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride took place on the shores of scenic Lake Tahoe. The race is part of the Bike the West series and is biked in conjunction with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, benefiting blood cancer research and providing education and patient services.

One of the riders, Hilly Freedman, is a CardCash.com employee who has been training for the 100-mile race for quite some time. Freedman biked as part of Team Lifeline, a group of 23 riders from across the country who came to ride in solidarity with the seriously ill children who are the beneficiaries of the funds raised by the team.

All riders committed to raise funds on behalf of the many organizations partaking in the ride. Freedman’s ride was sponsored in part by CardCash.com.

“What kept me going on the grueling uphill climbs was the thought of the seriously ill children at home, said Freedman. “However hard the ride was, however painful the ride may have been, it’s nothing compared to the daily fight these seriously ill children have to endure. It was an honor to raise money and ride on their behalf.

Team Lifeline raises needed funds for Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support network dedicated to bringing joy and hope to seriously ill children and their families. The funds raised by Team Lifeline are earmarked for Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, incredible overnight summer camps designed to meet the unique medical and social needs of children and teens with life-threatening or lifelong illnesses.

“We are proud of Hilly’s achievement and his work on behalf of a greater cause”, says CardCash.com COO Marc Ackerman. “The least we can do is help sponsor his ride, as he raises money for children who need it the most. We hope he continues doing great work on behalf of those in need.”